Foldable bicycles are well known in the art, with perhaps the most notable performer in this regard being the folding bicycle sold under the trademark BROMPTON BICYCLE and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,522. This prior art is referred to hereinafter as the “best prior art.”
The best prior art has a rear wheel that folds down and forward around the rear-wheel pivot and the front part of the frame folds laterally on the hinge. Since the best prior art folds at two points, the bicycle achieves very small folded package. The package length is slightly longer than the wheel diameter plus the chain ring radius, which is the irreducible length of a folding bike.
However, since both the folded front and rear wheels are placed below the bike main tube, the height of the folding package is greater than an optimum length which is the wheel diameter. Furthermore, the bike hinge necessitates heavier tubing especially where the hinge is joined to the frame. A hinge also has greater manufacturing cost than that of a pivot and is less aesthetically appealing.